sooners

September 01, 2010

Walk-on Patrick O’Hara, who took over place-kicking duties in November for slumping Jimmy Stevens, will begin the season as the starter.Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops picked the sophomore over a few candidates although he has expressed disappointment over the group’s inconsistency during August camp.“[O’Hara] in my eyes has been a little more consistent than everyone else and needs to be given an opportunity to keep [the job] and improve with it, as opposed to some knee-jerk reaction after every kick,” Stoops said.O’Hara is a former soccer player who converted 6-of-9 field-goal attempts and all 15 of his PATs.—Mike Jones

April 08, 2010

The former North Crowley star announced Thursday morning that he will enter the NBA Draft and hire an agent, meaning his decision to leave the program after two seasons is final.

"This was a stressful decision and one that I've been stuck in the middle on for a little while," Warren said in a statement. "I didn't like how things went this year with my injury and everything, but I also feel like I have the skills to take the next step. Some of the things I need to work on like being a better leader and being more vocal are things I can do at the next level.

"I talked to my mom extensively the last few weeks and I feel like the best move for me is to make the jump. Coach [Jeff] Capel is in my corner and said he'll help me out as much as he can.”

Warren was a consensus freshman All-American and a second-team All-Big 12 pick as the Sooners advanced to the Elite Eight in 2009. Coaches named him honorable mention All-Big 12 the past season when he led OU with a team-high 16.3 points per game. He missed 10 games--eight because of an ankle injury that required season-ending arthroscopic surgery on March 3.

But Warren’s leadership was in question all season -- dating back to the summer -- even though he scored at least 24 points six times in the season's first 11 games as the Sooners struggled early and then failed to live up to overly-optimistic preseason expectations.

"My freshman year I feel like I made some big contributions and I was somewhat satisfied," Warren said. "I feel like I could have scored more, but I understood the makeup of our team and it was a great feeling to make it all the way to the Elite Eight.

“My sophomore year was up and down and tough on all of us. It was a rollercoaster ride, especially for me with my ankle injury and being sick. But if I had to make my decision all over again, I would make the same one to attend OU.

“It was the best experience of my life and I want to thank all the Sooner fans who were behind me. My ankle is doing great and now it's time to take the next step."

Capel has already lost standout freshman point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin to the NBA draft and now faces another major task in rebuilding the program for the second time in Capel's four seasons without a star like Blake Griffin to build around.

Freshman forward Tiny Gallon, who had a difficult freshman season, currently is unable to participate in the off-season program while the university investigates his relationship with a financial advisor. He remains in school, though his future at OU is uncertain.

OU signed two players in November--6-foot-6 winger Cameron Clark of Sherman and 6-3 combo guard T.J. Taylor of Denison, both of whom were highly recruited. The Sooners also recently received an oral commitment from Oklahoma player of the year Tyler Neal, a 6-6 small forward from Putman City West.

Six scholarship players are currently on campus, including Gallon, leaving OU with four and possibly five scholarships (if Gallon leaves) to give.

October 05, 2009

Oklahoma’s leading receiver, Ryan Broyles, could return to action in a month or less, coach Bob Stoops said Monday morning.

“They have identified a fracture in his shoulder blade,” Stoops said. “[The medical staff’s] best estimate is somewhere between two to four weeks until he can return to play.”

That estimate is slightly more optimistic than the four-to-six week estimate offered Saturday night. Broyles was injured on the Sooners’ first series in a 21-20 loss at Miami after a 37-yard reception, OU’s longest play of the night.

He entered the game with a national-best seven touchdowns on 22 receptions for 309 yards.

Stoops also said the yardstick would be the same as last week to determine if quarterback Sam Bradford would play Saturday against Baylor.

“It’s making all the throws and making them comfortably, being able to execute the offense and make the throws he needs to make,” Stoops said. “And to be able to do them in a precise way and in a way that he is not aggravating [his right shoulder injury].

September 28, 2009

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday morning that the evaluation of quarterback Sam Bradford’s status for Saturday’s game at Miami would continue through the week, but refused to speculate on Bradford’s chances of playing.

“I would think we would know here later in the week what Sam is able to handle and where we are with it,” Stoops said Monday morning.

He said he doubted the decision would go to game time.

“I would think it would be earlier than that,” he said. “We just have to feel comfortable that he feels healthy, that he is good enough to make the throws we need to make and he’s ready to do it.

“All his rehab to this point, everything has been positive.”

Stoops described Bradford’s weekend trip to Alabama to consult with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews as nothing more than a checkup and that he was not seeking a “clearance” to play as some had speculated about the visit.

“As much as anything [it was] an extra opinion,” Stoops said.

“Our [medical staff has] been awesome in their evaluations. When it first happened, they got multiple opinions and everybody’s were all pretty similar and felt our guys were definitely on the right track and doing the right things. And I think that was the outcome the other day as well.

“Our doctors, through all the MRIs and everything, visited with many, many people, including Dr. Andrews.”

September 25, 2009

The NCAA has denied a final appeal from Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun and his attorney Woody Glass to overturn the organization's decision to bar Balogun from playing for the Sooners this season.

The NCAA upheld its ruling that Balogun played amateur league football after his 21st birthday and is therefore ineligible.

"I am so disapointed for Mike," Glass said Friday morning. "His only avenue now is in the courts."

The 25-year-old Balogun turned 21 on Sept. 28, 2004.

Glass hasn’t had a chance to talk to Balogun to decide the next course of action, but the route through the NCAA has been exhausted.

Balogun can re-enter the court system in hopes of gaining a permanent injunction barring the NCAA’s action, but that would leave Oklahoma in danger of forfeiting any games in which Balogun played under by-law 19.7. Glass said that would entail a process that might end before next season in hopes that Balogun could take a redshirt option and possibly play in 2010, although that course of action might not be available under NCAA guidelines.

Balogun’s other option would be to abandon any further pursuit of playing again, seek a trainer and try and prepare for possible tryouts with NFL teams

September 09, 2009

No doubt you’ve read online or heard the talking heads yaking on about how Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford “left millions on the table” by not entering last spring’s NFL draft.

And now, see? What did he get for coming back? He got hurt. Na-na-na-na-na, we told you so!

Shut up.

Bradford is going to be fine. And would have been fine even if he would have had to have surgery to repair the AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. Didn’t seem to affect the career of quarterback Eli Manning, who came back from a similar injury in the season-opener against Dallas and didn’t miss a game on the way to leading the New York Giants to a Super Bowl win two years ago. As Manning pointed out over the phone to Bradford on Sunday.

And as for costing himself a small fortune in the draft? Bunk. At least that’s the opinion of former Dallas Cowboys vice president Gil Brandt, whose approach and establishment of a scouting network revolutionized the way the NFL approached the draft.

“I was one of the ones encouraging him to stay in school,” Brandt said over the phone the other day. “And immediately now people are saying if he would have come out he would have gotten this money and so forth.

“That’s somewhat true. But if he’s healthy and he gets picked in the same place he did last year, he will get more this year than he would have if he would have come out last year.”

This from a guy who actually knows what he’s talking about, not some mouth or dot.com guru who has never had a whistle around his neck.

Recall that Bradford himself pointed out his decision to return had nothing to do with money.

“I think one of (the pros of coming back was) getting to go through another year of college. You only get to go to college one time and I’m having a blast right now. I’m living my dream. I dreamed of playing at Oklahoma. That’s something I want to do, and want to continue to do.”

The only initial consequence--which could eventually be negated if Bradford’s prognosis of a two to four-week return is right on--is that it has cost him some game experience. And that was one of Brandt’s points to Bradford. He explained if you track the success of quarterbacks who came out early against those who stayed and played--those to came to the NFL with 40 or so starts behind them-- it’s easy to see that more experience means a greater chance of success.

Bradford has 28 starts and a half-game in his resume, 575 completions in 838 passes thrown.

Brandt said the fact that Bradford played at OU is also in his favor.

“Think how much emphasis Oklahoma has put on the passing game,” Brandt said. “And Oklahoma doesn’t win all those games by accident. They do a really good job of coaching those guys. The quarterback coach (Josh Heupel) is really good.

September 04, 2009

The lawyer for Oklahoma’s Mike Balogun said Friday morning he has been notified the NCAA amateurism certification staff will make a decision on his client's eligibility today, but he is not optimistic the news will be good.

In fact, just the opposite.

"I am confident they will not certify him," attorney Woody Glass said. "If [the staff] was going to certify him, they would have done it a long, long time ago."

At issue is whether Balogun, 25, competed in amateur football after turning 21, which would cost him a
year of eligibility and make him ineligible this season.

Friday's decision will not, however, be final unless Balogun is re-certified.

“The amateurism staff will submit their proposed findings of fact supporting their decision,” Glass explained. “They will request a response from [Oklahoma] and Mike to agree with their proposed findings.

“If we cannot agree, we will submit our proposed findings of fact. The two position statements will then be submitted to a fact finding committee that will resolve the factual issues. Once the factual issues are decided, the case gets submitted to the Amateurism Certification Committee for decision.”

September 03, 2009

Oklahoma All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham will miss Saturday's season-opening game against BYU because of a knee injury that could have further consequences.

Coach Bob Stoops acknowledged Thursday afternoon that Gresham suffered cartilage damage in his right knee this week and was being evaluated further. Stoops said Gresham, team doctors and the training staff are considering options "that could have a bearing on his return."

Gresham, who did not enter last spring's NFL Draft in order to return for his senior season, is a key player in the Sooners' offense. He caught 66 passes for 950 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a junior.

September 02, 2009

The attorney for Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun said Wednesday morning that although he is aggravated by the process, he still believes the NCAA will re-certify his client to play football this season.

“I’m frustrated that it’s taken this long and continue to press toward a deadline that we believed would concur with my agreement to suspend the [civil court] hearing on a permanent injunction,” Woody Glass said after two full days with an NCAA investigator in the Maryland area. “That has yet to occur. But I still feel confident based on everything that has happened that Mike will be certified -- sooner hopefully than later.”

Balogun’s certification was pulled Aug.14 by the NCAA, which believed
that he played in an amateur football league after his 21st
birthday despite subsequent mounting evidence to the contrary. Balogun is not scheduled to travel with the Sooners for Saturday's season-opening game against BYU in Arlington. A temporary injunction has allowed him to continue to practice, but Oklahoma apparently has made a decision not to play Balogun unless he is re-certified.

The 25-year-old Balogun’s contention is that he did not play in the North American Football League after Sept. 28, 2004.

Glass said he was notified Friday that he would be included in the latest interview process and flew to Maryland on Sunday night. He said he was returning to Oklahoma on Wednesday and was frustrated because only one interview was conducted.

“Because of some confidentiality that I have agreed to with the NCAA, I cannot discuss at this time what the content of the [interview] was,” Glass said. “But I think that people can read into that, that I still feel confident that Mike will be certified.”